CA: Santa Cruz County RTC will consider turning to federal lawmakers for help with rail study
Stewards of a passenger rail study that explores service on the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line will consider adjusting funding strategies to fill a financial gap.
After formally completing the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail Project Concept Report in December, the next phase of the exploration effort includes preliminary engineering and environmental studies. However, the commission’s coffers are running low, and it is a facing a $15 million funding gap that is needed to complete the analyses.
Commission staff often turn to competitive state and federal grant funding programs to fill a financial need of this magnitude. But in advance of the commission’s Thursday meeting, local planners have written in the agenda report that there are very few available competitive grant programs that could fund pre-construction components of capital projects.
Instead, the commission’s staff has recommended that it seek instead federal financial earmark opportunities that can be facilitated by representatives in Congress. These earmarks, also known as “congressionally directed spending” or “community project funding,” allow legislators to allocate funding to a limited number of projects through the annual appropriations process, according to the staff summary.
The commission contends that the necessary environmental funding for the passenger rail project is in line with the criteria of relevant federal programs including the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development and the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements programs.
Congress’ community project funding process is already underway, and the federal leaders may only submit 15 requests. The deadline for local project planners and agencies to share requests of their own with elected leaders are March 6 for Sen. Adam Schiff, March 11 for Rep. Jimmy Panetta and March 13 for Sen. Alex Padilla.
But a funding stream from state sources may also be a possibility. Commissioners Fred Keeley and Justin Cummings requested that the commission’s staff draw up proposed plans for requesting funding in California’s upcoming annual budget process. The commission’s staff concluded that it may be possible for the agency to be awarded funding from the state for local assistance on crucial issues. The county also has the ear of California budget leaders, as state Sen. John Laird was recently appointed chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee.
Staff recommended that the commission request a special allotment from Laird be included in the state’s budget to support the environmental component of the passenger rail project.
Faced with a ballooning project budget, the commission decided in December to pursue a design for three segments of its Coastal Rail Trail project in Mid County that temporarily placed the trail on top of the rail line instead of beside it. But in order to demonstrate a commitment to pursuing passenger rail service in the long term, the commission approved a resolution of support for future passenger rail service and continued partnership with the Caltrans Division of Rail on Corridor Identification and Development and it committed $1 million in future 2028 State Transportation Improvement Program shares toward the effort.
If you go:
- What: Santa Cruz County RTC meeting.
- When: 9 a.m., Thursday.
- Where: Scotts Valley City Council chambers at 1 Civic Center Drive in Scotts Valley. Zoom participation at us02web.zoom.us/j/89597173447
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